Category: Note from the Farmer

September 10

Dear CSA Member,

Thank you again to everyone who came the Farm Visit. It was the perfect day! If anyone would like to share pictures of that day please e-mail them to info@stoneledge.farm

A special note for this coming week – There will be No extra add on orders of mushrooms for week #16. They will start again week #17.

So far the month of September feels more like August. Hot and Humid! As we are working our way into the fall season we are ready for the humidity to break. The carrots have done well this season. You will be getting a bunch of carrots in your CSA shares this week. These carrots do not need to be peeled. (A nice time saver for a busy week!) The carrots are mixed. There are purple carrots and orange carrots. The purple carrots are a deep dark purple. The purple carrots have an orange center with a pretty ring of purple around them. Below is a simple and tasty recipe for this weeks carrots we like to use here on the farm.

Directions:
Cut of the carrot tops.
Trim the carrot end that had the tops.
Wash and place in pan with 1 cup of water.
Add 1 tbl. of honey (more or less depending on your preference)
Cook until carrots are tender and honey has created a soft glaze over carrots.
Serve warm and enjoy!

New this week is Ancho Peppers. These peppers are mildly hot and can be used in any spicy dish. They are traditionally used for Chili Rellenos. https://allrecipes.com/recipe/21148/chile-rellenos/ This week you will also be getting Tomatillos, Serrano Peppers (HOT use with Caution) and Red Onions. Great for salsa verde. https://allrecipes.com/recipe/94028/tomatillo-salsa-verde/ If you have a great recipe you would like to share with the farm please send us an e-mail.

Enjoy The Harvest!
Candice for Everyone at Stoneledge Farm

September 4, 2016

Dear CSA Member,

It has been a beautiful start to September. Warm days and cool nights. Saturday was exceptional and a great day for the farm visit. Thank you to everyone who came to the farm. It was a lovely day!

We have spent the past three days harvesting the Butternut Squash. The butternut squash is absolutely beautiful. The squash is harvested from the field and brought to be laid in long rows in the greenhouses. The air and warmth allows for the winter squash to cure and will become ready for your CSA share.

We are still picking for this weeks share and we will send you an update on Monday.

Enjoy the harvest.
Candice for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

August 28

Dear CSA Member

Moving into fall and you will see the difference starting to show in your CSA shares. There are still summer time vegetables: Tomatoes and Peppers and Eggplant. With a new fall crop of beets. Each week the farm moves slowly with the seasons.

September 3 is the annual Fall Farm Festival from 11:30-3. If you are using GPS please use 145 Garcia Lane, Leeds, NY 12451. There are also directions on the farm website, “Contact Us” tab. Use the Physical Address. Come and meet your farmers, walk the fields where your vegetables are grown. At 12 we will gather for lunch. The farm will provide pulled pork with rolls and also a vegetarian stew, roast corn, portobello mushrooms, fresh fruit and coffee. We ask members to bring a dish to share to help round out the lunch offerings and their own place setting.

There will be wagon rides, walks around the farm, I Spy game for kids and Scarecrow making. You can pick a bouquet of flowers and help dig carrots to take home. If you would like to take flowers home, please bring your own scissors and something that will keep the flowers until you get home. Wet paper towels or newspapers in a plastic bag will usually do the trick. No pets, please.

If you are traveling from NYC you might be interested in the bus that Chelsea CSA is sponsoring:
Bus Info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/travel-to-stoneledge-farm-annual-fall-farm-festival-tickets-27257110752
Saturday, September 3, 2015, 11:30am – 3:00pm
This event covers travel between NYC and the farm. We will be getting a bus or a van depending on registration.
The Chelsea CSA is arranging transportation to the farm and back for this event. Tickets are $5 per person and will help cover the cost of the bus rental. If you prefer to drive yourself, parking is available and you do not need to register here.
Adults and children are $5.
TICKETS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE
We will make one bathroom stop on the way up to the farm and one on the return trip. There is a port-a-potty at the farm. Bring a hat and sunscreen. Remember to wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty. The ride is about 120 miles and take 2 ½ hrs hours to get there. Plan to arrive back around 6 pm.
Day of contact will be announced shortly.

Other local farms and businesses that will be attending:

Banana Moon Bakery with their delicious baked treats will have cookies and pie for sale. https://www.facebook.com/BananaMoonBakingCompany/

Our local Beekeeper James McManus will have the observation hive and also honey for sale.

Sophia Hernandez will be there with Mexican Textiles. Wallets, blankets and more from Mexico.

The Cairo Historical Society will be attending. They will have a table set up with information on the history of Cairo.

The Stoneledge Farm Marketplace items will be available during the Farm Visit. We will have coffee by the lb., chocolate and maple syrup for sale.

Hope to see you at the Fall Farm Festival.
Candice for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

P.S.This week on the Marketplace we have tomatoes in bulk. 25lb. box. If anyone is interested please order as soon as possible. There is a limited amount available.
https://www.stoneledge.farm/marketplace

August 21, 2016

Dear CSA Member

August and the hot weather continues as well as the Peppers, Cucumbers and Tomatoes. New this week is Hot Peppers. (Use with caution!)

Using the cilantro, hot peppers and tomatoes you can make a delicious cold Pico De Gallo. One of Stoneledge Farms favorites! https://allrecipes.com/recipe/35304/pico-de-gallo/

This week you will be getting more celery! Below is a great link for celery recipes if you are interested. To freeze the celery leaves wash, chop and place in a bag to freeze. Great for winter time. (soups and stocks)
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/celery-recipe-raw-braised_n_2536087.html

There will be one more week of the sweet corn available through the Online Marketplace. https://www.stoneledge.farm/marketplace If you are interested the orders must be placed Friday by 12pm for that current weeks delivery. The corn is local (Story’s Farm) and conventionally grown.

To order Sweet Corn follow these directions:

Go to https://www.stoneledge.farm/marketplace
Login
Click on Vegetables in Bulk
Click on Vegetables in Bulk again
Click on the drop down tab and find Sweet Corn

There are boxes of tomatoes available through the CSA online Marketplace. The tomatoes in the bulk boxes are smaller, red and good for freezing, sauce or just eating. To place an order log into your member account from the farm website home page and then select Marketplace. Your order will be delivered with the CSA shares.

To order Vegetables in Bulk follow these directions:

Go to https://www.stoneledge.farm/marketplace
Login
Click on Vegetables in Bulk
Click on Vegetables in Bulk again
Click on the drop down tab and find available vegetable in bulk

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Fall Farm Festival. The Fall Farm Festival will be held on the farm September 3rd from 11:30-3:00. Please use the 145 Garcia Lane, Leeds, NY 12451 address. There are directions on the farm website Contact Us tab https://www.stoneledgefarmny.com/contact-information or using your GPS. It is a great day to come to the farm and see how your vegetables are grown, meet your farmers and walk the fields. We have the grill hot and will have pork as well as grilled Sweet Corn and Portobello Mushrooms. There will be fresh fruit, Stoneledge Farm Coffee and water. We ask that members bring a dish to share so that lunch is a giant pot luck get together. If possible, please bring your own place settings, utensils and cup. No pets, please.

Enjoy the harvest.
Candice for everyone at Stoneledge Farm.

August 7

Dear CSA Member

August is here! Where did July go? It has been very dry and the tomatoes have done well and are slowly ripening. The tomato plants have been tied up in a “basket weave” of twine to keep the tomatoes off the ground. Stakes are pounded into the row every other plant and then twine is wound down the row around one stake and then to the back of the next. Twine is then reversed on the row so that the tomato plant is held between the strands. The tomatoes have better air circulation and the leaves and fruit are off of the ground.

The onion harvest was great this season. Last weeks Summer Shallots were tender and sweet. This week you will receive Red Wing Red Onions. The onions are harvested when their tops start to decline and the outer skin of the bulb is starting to thicken and dry. The onions are pulled, crated and then laid in long rows in the greenhouses on the benches to dry. Air and warmth allow the skins to finish drying and the onions are now ready for distribution for your CSA share.

Reminder** Corn and Mushroom orders need to be placed by 12pm the Friday before your delivery. All orders placed after 12pm will be delivered not that week but the following week after. ***

We hope that you will mark your calendar with the upcoming Fall Farm Festival. The Fall Farm Festival will be held on the farm September 3rd from 11:30-3:00. Please use the 145 Garcia Lane, Leeds, NY 12451 address. There are directions on the farm website Contact Us tab https://www.stoneledgefarmny.com/contact-information or using your GPS. It is a great day to come to the farm and see how your vegetables are grown, meet your farmers and walk the fields. We have the grill hot and will have pork as well as grilled Sweet Corn and Portobello Mushrooms . Kim and Mickael of Paradis to Go https://paradistogo.com will be manning the roaster and Kim will make a batch of Stoneledge Farm Vegetable Chili. There will be fresh fruit, Stoneledge Farm Coffee and water. We ask that members bring a dish to share so that lunch is a giant pot luck get together. If possible, please bring your own place settings, utensils and cup. No pets, please.

There are flowers to pick and take home from the flower garden. If you would like to take flowers home, please bring your own scissors and something that will keep the flowers until you get home. Wet paper towels or newspapers in a plastic bag will usually do the trick. There will be an “I Spy” game for kids of all ages as well as scarecrow making!

It is really a great day to visit Stoneledge Farm and everyone who grows your vegetables. Please make a note on your calendar and come to the farm. If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to the farm. Hope to see you at the farm.

For more information about outdoor activities please check out:
https://www.greatnortherncatskills.com/
https://hikethehudsonvalley.com/
Use the West of the Hudson search.
Hudson Valley Hiking Guide (www.trails.com)
For information about the wineries in the Hudson Valley Region go to: www.hudsonvalleywinecountry.org/

Enjoy the harvest
Candice for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

July 31

Dear CSA Member

No doubt that summer is here. Heat and humidity make it a challenge to work outside. We start early in the morning but still need to work into the heat of the day. The summer plants love the weather, though and it is just what is needed for sweet tasting Peppers, Eggplant and Cucumbers.

This is a Coffee Share delivery week for members with an optional Coffee Share. Fruit Share will be Early Mac Apples, Strawberries & Blueberries.
Mushroom Share will be Crimini Mushrooms.

As always, the online Marketplace is open for weekly orders. I will send a reminder e-mail if you place a Marketplace order. This week some of the items on the Marketplace will be strawberries, blueberries and eggplant. All great items for freezing!

Please make a note on your calendar, September 3 from 11:30 to 3:00 is the annual Fall Farm Festival. The farm provides Pulled Pork with Rolls, Vegetarian Chili, Sweet Corn and Portobello Mushrooms from the grill and fresh Fruit. We ask that members bring a dish to share to round out the luncheon. A great day to visit the farm that grows your CSA share. More to come.

Enjoy the summer and the harvest.

Everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Dear CSA member:

Moving into summertime in the fields. A new set of photos of the potato fields in bloom have been posted on the Farm News section of the farm website: https://www.stoneledgefarmny.com/on-the-farm/farm-blog and also on the farm FaceBook page. Potatoes are beautiful when in bloom. Take a look.

It is a summertime share this week with the first of the eggplant and cucumbers being harvested. The cucumbers are gorgeous and summer squash is still abundant this week. Everything looks delicious!

A reminder that the optional shares for mushrooms and fruit are to be picked up only by those who have ordered them. We want to make sure that everyone picks up only the items that they have ordered.

Marketplace items are available each week: vegetables in bulk, honey, maple syrup, chocolate and coffee. To order, log into your CSA member account from the farm website home page. Please note: The order deadline for delivery of your Marketplace order is by 1 PM the day before your CSA delivery except for mushroom orders, which must be received by the farm by Friday noon for delivery. Orders received after the deadline will be delivered the following CSA delivery week. You will receive an e-mail confirmation and reminder of your Marketplace order.

Enjoy the Vegetables and this wonderful summer weather.
Everyone at Stoneledge Farm

July 3, 2016

Dear CSA Member

Our garden is flourishing in the wonderful summer conditions we have had recently. The lack of moisture and warm dry conditions favor the up and coming heat loving summer produce. We are able to irrigate the crops which require more water while leaving others dry. Keeping the foliage of plants like tomatoes, potatoes, squash, cucumbers and sweet peppers dry is essential in preventing many diseases which can greatly reduce crop yields. We are certainly grateful for the stretch of seasonable weather we have had.

Walking through the fields and planning the coming weeks is always a weekly project Pete Jr. looks forward to. This morning the bees were hard at work throughout the fields pollinating the plentiful blossoms. Thousands of immature cucumbers, eggplant and peppers are appearing quickly. The greens are holding on strong and we still have a large variety of lettuce for the coming weeks. Herbs like parsley, dill and cilantro are quickly growing from seedlings into mature plants.

What a weekly harvest of Summer Squash. The conditions have been perfect and the picking abundant. This week you will be getting mixed varieties of summer squash and zucchini. The farm website Recipes & Produce ID have great recipes and pictures for identification of the produce. www.stoneledge.farm/csa-program/recipes

This week is the first Fruit Share delivery. Please take fruit only if you have ordered this optional Fruit Share. If you do not remember you can check your order by logging into your CSA Member Account. Your CSA coordinators will have Fruit Share members on the sign in roster as well. This week there are local Sweet Cherries and Blueberries. The cherry crop this year is very sparse due to the late frost. Fix Brothers (the local cherry orchard) picked these delicious cherries just for our CSA.

This is also a Coffee Share delivery week and if you have a Coffee Share you will receive a reminder e-mail. Mushroom Shares are delivered every week and are Portobello Mushrooms this week.

The Online Marketplace will have bulk vegetables starting today. The bulk vegetables are great for freezing for the winter or, if you are having a party.

Please note: The order deadline for delivery of your Marketplace Order is by 1PM the day before your CSA delivery except for Mushroom and Sweet Corn Orders. Mushroom and Sweet Corn orders must be received by the farm by Friday noon for delivery. Orders received after the deadline will be delivered the following CSA delivery week. You will receive an e-mail confirmation and reminder of your Marketplace order.

Enjoy the harvest.
Stoneledge Farm